Greek police officer arrested in Turkey granted conditional release
A Greek police officer who was arrested in Turkey on Sunday has been granted release without charge by a court but must remain in the country while authorities conclude a sweep of his cellphone.
The 41-year-old and his female companion were arrested on Sunday evening while returning from a day out in the city of Edirne, which is around 5 kilometers from the Greek-Turkish border.
Police on the Turkish side of the border said the pair had trespassed on the no-go zone between the two countries and apprehended them for questioning, while also seizing their cellphones.
The incident caused some concern in Athens that the police officer could be accused of espionage.
The 41-year-old serves at the police station in the border town of Feres in Evros, northeastern Greece, and was off-duty when he and his companion made the trip to Turkey for leisure purposes.
According to the Citizens’ Protection Ministry in Athens, the pair was released on Monday on the condition that they remain in Turkey for 48 hours while investigators continue studying the content of their cellphones to rule out the possibility that they contain sensitive data.
